What’s new in the new rules for 2025-28

Dave Perry is a welcomed authority on the racing rules. Long time chair of the US Sailing Appeals Committee, he is also an entertaining presenter on the rules and is available for in-person and on-line presentations in 2025. In this report, Dave helps us learn about rule changes for the new year:

The next edition of The Racing Rules of Sailing goes into effect on January 1, 2025, and will remain in effect through 2028. As usual, the rules writers have done a good job not making many significant changes to the rules, particularly the rules of Part 2 (When Boats Meet). But all sailors and race officials will want to know the new rules going into 2025.

Here’s what’s new in rule 19 (Room to Pass an Obstruction), rule 20 (Room to Tack at an Obstruction), and in Part 5 which are the rules for protests and requests for redress, etc:

Rule 19.2(a) (Giving Room at an Obstruction)
The new rule 19.2(a) clarifies that the term “side” in rule 19.2(a) means the side of the boat, not the side of the obstruction. The rule also adds a requirement that when a right-of-way boat changes course when choosing on which side to pass the obstruction, she needs to give the other boat room to keep clear. Although this rule appears to be redundant to rule 16.1 (Changing Course), it is not. If the right-of-way boat does not give the other boat room to keep clear under rule 19.2(a), she is not exonerated for that breach, because rule 19.2(a) is not included in rule 43.1(b), Exoneration, whereas rule 16.1 is.

Rule 20.1 (Room to Tack at an Obstruction: Hailing)
Rule 20.1 now provides a specific hail (“Room to tack”) that a boat should use when she wants to call for room to tack at an obstruction. Most sailors hail some form of “I need room to tack” anyways, so this will not be a significant change.

Part 5 (Protests, Redress, Hearings, Misconduct and Appeals)
These rules have been completely rearranged and renumbered to provide a better organization of the rules but with no significant changes. Here are two changes to be aware of.

Rule 60.2(b) (Intention to Protest)
If a boat is not within hailing distance at the time of the incident, the boat intending to protest does not need to hail or display a red flag (for boats 20 feet or longer). She only needs to inform the protestee of her intention to protest at the first reasonable opportunity.

Rule 60.3 (Delivering a Protest)
A protest now need only identify the protestor, the protestee and the incident. However, once the protest is delivered to the race office (or by whatever method is required by the SI’s), the identification of the protestor, protestee and incident cannot be changed. So sailors need to be very careful to get that information correct when they file their protest.

For more on the 2025-28 rules from Dave, click here.

Contact Dave to arrange a presentation at davperry@optonline.net.

US Sailing has a webpage dedicated to the new 2025-28 Racing Rules: click here

Dave is also the author of two highly respected books on the rules, Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2028 and Dave Perry’s 100 Best Racing Rules Quizzes, which he has updated for the 2025-2028 Racing Rules of Sailing. You can purchase Dave’s books at www.ussailing.store.